His voice was neither loud nor forceful, yet it gave Herbert a feeling as if a lifetime had passed.
He felt his body becoming increasingly heavy, but his soul seemed to grow lighter.
A long-lost sound reached his ears.
Thump-thump.
The sound of his heart beating, the flow of blood, all converged in his ears. He could feel his calm breathing and hear the chirping of birds outside the window.
The one in the mirror was about to sleep, while the one outside the mirror was about to awaken.
The long night was over.
The time to wake from the dream had arrived.
But just as Herbert was about to close his eyes and break free from the dream, he sighed softly.
"As expected, it's just a dream."
Herbert slowly opened his eyes, clarity replacing any trace of drowsiness.
Looking at his past reflection in the mirror with some regret, he softly said, "You tried to imitate me, to make yourself look like me."
"But you are not me."
